Swell: A Year of Waves

by Evan Slater

Wave watchers around the world know that no two waves are the same. Yet each and every wave that rises, peaks, and crashes onto the beach is generated by a much larger force originating thousands of miles away. Surf journalist team Evan Slater and Peter Taras capture the essence of waves and the swells that produce them in this breathtaking collection of wave photography. Slater characterizes four distinct swells from different corners of the globe and traces their journeys throughout the year from storm to seashore. His reflective, informative essays amplify these powerful images of hundreds of waves frozen in time, beautiful, simple, universal, yet wholly unique—and the best thing to watch on the planet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Art

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 2012

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice delineation of the factors that determine swell: currents, weather patterns, the topography of the ocean floor, paired with stunning photographs edited by Surfer Magazine photo editor Peter Taras. Educational in a light, pleasant way. I did not know about Hawaii's perfectly sculpted distant reefs...
I also learned about why the Southern Swell is so coveted and that the waves tend to be spaced farther out.

[ECH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned something

I really like this photo book. The text is interesting and informative without being too much, a first with me for a photo book. I like how it was organized geographically and it ended on a high. One critique I have is that the ebook photos are too small and not laid out for maximum impact. Overall the book focuses on the impressive nature of waves when I expected the beauty, but it worked.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coffee table book, so it was a very quick read. I liked the narrative descriptions, but it felt too short. I think a lot more could have been said about the experiences with those waves and locations. I was happy to see North Carolina get a few mentions, but they were all places I haven't visited or surfed. While some of the pictures were stunning, there were a few too many overheads. I'm not an expert with photography, but I also would have liked a bit more consistency. The black and white photos seemed to be the best. Sepia might have been cool. Overall, the most beautiful photos were of Teahupo'o, Tahiti. I think I would have liked to have seen more photographs, but I'm nitpicking.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Swell by Evan Slater was about all different types of waves around the world. In the book Slater stated many interesting facts. For example, Slater stated that Hawaii has some of the world's biggest waves. Slater also stated that Mavericks can be found in California and many other surf spots. In my opinion, Swell was a really interesting book to read.

[Dan Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

I checked this book out from the library before a trip to Hawaii hoping to know a little bit more about where the waves come from and the science behind it. All I know now is a LITTLE bit. This is more of a picture book than a scientific explanation of waves. The pictures are beautiful and but the writing is sparse.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of substance here...but there are some gorgeous shots of waves. I wish there had been more of the story or had a surfer talk about each break as opposed to just a general overview of the points. I love surfing books, and while this one was good, it wasn't my favorite.

[Librarianaut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and powerful.

[Artie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photos and interesting text.

[Tanela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great visual read and nice annotations. Read on Libby and truly relaxing and inspirational.

[Isaac Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great coffee table book. The book is packed with beautiful pictures of waves in various stages of life, along with short (perhaps too short for the wave nerds) descriptions of how waves form and how they interact with the various elements in play to create waves. The pictures focus on classic regions and spots: Hawaii, Indonesia, West Oz, Newport Wedge. I was happy to see some lesser-heralded spots get some attention, Nova Scotia, Vancouver Island, North Carolina. I wish Jersey got a few pictures in the Atlantic Hurricane section (what kind of hurricane swell photo spread doesn't include a perfectly chocolatey Jersey A-frame?). Also, South Africa doesn't even get a single photo? But, overall, the photos are simply stunning. Non-surfers and land-lovers will enjoy this book for it's beautiful images, but surf nerds will love it even more.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite photos of the textures and moods of waves!

[L Tossey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely visual trip around the world with great essays to accompany them - good for pandemic virtual “traveling” & inspiration for planning future trips.